Iraqi forces said yesterday that they had recaptured the last territory held by Islamic State in the country. The prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, hailed the retaking of Hawija and its surrounding villages 40 miles west of Kirkuk after a two-week operation. “I announce the liberation of the city of Hawija,” he said in Paris, where he had been meeting President Macron. Mr Abadi said it was a victory “not just for Iraq but for the whole world”. Tribal leaders from the area, which is largely Sunni and has long been a haven of militancy, said that three “lost years” had ended.

Source: The Times October 05, 2017 22:52 UTC